Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1887-04-23
JOAQUIN MILLER.
The Great Stanford Estate-Ex-Governor
BidweH.
Correspondence


BidweH.
Especial Correspondence
RED BLUFFS, Cal. April g.
As / am here almost in sight of the famous
Stanford farm, which Senator Stanford pre-
sented to the state recently as part Of the
endowment of his great university it may be
well to look in upon it.
Forty years ago this land was the property
Of a Mr.. Loosen, after whom the snowy
mountain peak to the east of u.s. Mount Los
sen, was named. But when the gold fever
broke out the old mountaineer seemed to re-
member having seen gold somewhere in the
mountains and could no longer be content on
his splendid land grant He sold his vast
possessions, worth 81, 900, 900, for IS 900 to a
neighbor and with the money in his pocket
set out in the direction Of Lossen's Butte.
His only companions were his Mexican and
Indian dependents who had lived with him
and served him on the ranch. His mutilated
remains were found few months later and
buried at the base of the mountain which
bears his name. But the fabulous deposits of
gold which the old trooper claims to have
seen in the mountains have never to this day
been found. He was probably murdered by
some treacherous Indian or Mexican for the
few thousands of money which he carried
with him.
The land, when it came to Senator STAN
ford, cost square 81 900, 900 in gold. And
here the great railroad king contemplated
making the model farm of the earth. But
alas for all the calculations Of mani 1
stopped at the mean and dirty little railroad
station there, called Vina, last year, and was
dismayed at the miserable set Of whisky
drinking toughs that I found hanging
about the place. Senator Stanford had
made the mistake of believing too much
in his fellow man; laudable mistake, but
fatal one in great enterprises. He never had
any control Of this plague spot right here in
the heart Of his model farm. And so it is no
better than any of the other gin and poker
towns of this great valley Of wheat and wine.
But Of course the great farm itself is about
perfect. In the first place, nature has done
all that nature could do. The whole broad
region lay waiting for the plow. Little
mountain trout streams stole down through
the meadow land under the scattered oaks
toward the Sacramento river, and the wild
oats, high es horses back, glistened in the
sun ready for the reaper, even without The
suggestion Of plow.
In little time the wild oats were turned
over and under, the mountain streams were
led hither and yon in irrigating bitches and
more than twenty square miles were set in
grapesl The great oak trees were left stand
ing, am glad to record. For they are only
Just abundant enough to afford occasional
resting places for the laborers, or shelter cat
tie from the hot sun when they are in the
fields. And they are wide and generous
trees, full Of birds, especially doves, and their
broad, green branches are smothered in moss.
It is strange to see a train of freight cars
stop here and take on load of peanutsl In
fact 1, an old Californian, am constantly
meeting with just such surprises as this right
along here in my own land. Not long ago
saw carload of English walnuts from a little
mining camp, where the only fruit had ever
seen hanging on any of the trees there were
three men, escaped convicts from Australia,
hanged for murder by mob.
But perhaps the greatest surprise in all this
wondrous valley Of wonders is the famous
farm of Gen. Bidwell. His little allotment Of
land on this earth is $500 acresI A good /
and even great man is Bidwell, but this is a
serious sin. No man has any sort Of right to /
so much land. To say that he makes the best |
possible rs OF it and beauties every acre Is
hardly a. y gunlenI III DIS ldNOTs Nneh I
see any one man monopolize so much land as
this see some of the good uses of death.
Gen. BidweIl came here in 1S43. He Is an !
Ohio man, has been in congress from this |
state and is universally loved Strangely |
enough, this man told me that he came to /
California because a man in Missouri, /
whittier he had moved and located on quar-
ter section Of land, cheated him out OF his !
pre-emption claim of land. Failing to get /
leo acres Of land in Missouri he resolved to /
get hold Of something substantial in Califor-
mia.
Gen. Bidwell's farm is an empire in itself, 1
not only in revenue and extent, but in vari- \
ETY. of products. Everything, indeed, from /
peanuts up to pears and peaches and apricots
that would make your mouth water, is taken |
from here in car loads almost daily TO the 4
markets Of San Francisco and Sacramento. 1
Nuts Of all lands, fruits OF all chimes and /
kinds, grain OF all sorts-everythlng that :
grows! No king of old ever had 50 much OF /
everything as this farmer here in the or eat /
Sacramento valley. JOAQUIN MILLER.
Blank Books OF every description /
made TO order az the Democrat /